Gardening glove having a cutting tool

ABSTRACT

A gardening glove includes a cutting tool fixed to the distal end of the index finger. The cutting tool is a stainless steel blade projecting from the end of the index finger. The blade cuts flower stems by pinching the stem between the blade cutting edge and the end of the glove thumb.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to the field of gloves and more particularly the invention is a gardening glove having a cutting tool.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Growing healthy and beautiful plants may be an arduous task for the professional and hobby gardener alike. Pruning dead stems or flowers out of an otherwise healthy plant can assist in the regeneration of new growth. This process, however, can be awkward and difficult using conventional pruning tools. It is often difficult to maneuver the bulky tool into the plant for selecting and cutting stems, especially when working amongst dense plants. These tools provide no protection for the hands against thorns and other sharp portions of the plant. Some gardeners choose to prune plants with their bare hands but this can damage the plant tissue and cause sore fingers and calluses. A more effective tool is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

My invention is a gardening glove with a cutting tool that can be worn on the hand to prune or pinch plants in an effective manner. My invention is a comfortable glove made of breathable material with a stainless steel blade fixed to the tip of the index finger and a plastic guard on the thumb pad. This innovative arrangement enables wearers to cut plants simply by making a pinching motion with their index finger and thumb. This unique cutting tool maybe used in place of bulky secateurs and horticultural knives for removing deadhead plants. It also protects the wearer's hands against calluses, bruises, brambles, and thorns while providing a clean cut to the plant, eliminating soft tissue bruising. Professional, commercial, or home gardeners will benefit from the convenience and functionality offered by this product. My invention is a cutting tool that can be worn on the hand for pinching and pruning plants. This device can be comprised of a glove made of breathable, waterproof materials having a rounded stainless steel blade situated on the tip of the forefinger that acts like a reinforced fingernail for pruning plants. On the thumb pad of the device, there can be a pad made of thick plastic for protecting the wearer against cuts. The palm of the glove can be reinforced with canvas, leather or other thicker materials, and there can be an elastic and nylon band around the wrist for keeping the glove in place. The backside of the glove may include decorative embellishments such as a colorful picture of a bird, or other nature scenes. The device may be developed to be worn on both the right and left hands, and can be available in an assortment of sizes. Exact specifications may vary upon manufacturing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom view or palm-forward view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention in a cutting mode.

FIG. 4 is a view of one embodiment of the invention cutting a flower stem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described in detail hereinafter by reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described; rather, this detailed description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a bottom or palm-forward view of a preferred embodiment of my invention, namely, a gardening glove 10 comprising a glove body 12 for receiving a hand. The glove body comprises four finger inserts (14, 16, 18 and 20) including an index finger insert 20. The glove body also comprises a palm portion 22, a back portion (24 in FIG. 2), a thumb insert 26 and a wrist cuff 28. Advantageously, the glove body provides full protective coverage of the hand. In FIG. 1, a right hand glove is illustrated but it is to be understood that the left hand glove is similarly configured. There is further included a reinforced portion 30 covering a distal phalanx 32 of the index finger insert and a similar reinforced portion 34 covering the distal phalanx 36 of the thumb insert. A cutting blade 38 is attached to one of the reinforcement portions covering the distal phalanx of the index finger and the thumb. In the embodiment shown the cutting blade 38 is attached to the index finger insert 20 but in another embodiment it could be attached to the thumb insert 26. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, there is an abrasive and puncture-resistant pad or covering 40 disposed over the palm portion 22. The pad is fixed to the palm by adhesive, heat sensitive adhesive or by stitching.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown a top or back-of-hand forward view of a preferred embodiment 10 of the gardening glove comprising a glove body 12 comprising four finger inserts (14, 16, 18 and 20) including an index finger insert 20, a back portion 24, a thumb insert 26 and a wrist cuff 28. There is further included a reinforced portion 30 covering a distal phalanx 32 of the index finger insert and a similar reinforced portion 34 covering the distal phalanx 36 of the thumb insert. Cutting blade 38 is shown attached to one of the reinforcement portions covering the distal phalanx of the index finger and the thumb. In the embodiment shown the cutting blade 38 is attached to the index finger insert 20 but in another embodiment it could be attached to the thumb insert 26. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2, there is substrate covering 42 disposed over the back portion 24 of the glove body. The substrate can be used to receive an artistic design 44 as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 wrist cuff 28 is an elasticized cuff forming a dirt-resistant compressive sealing.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the garden glove 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a side view with the thumb insert 26 and index finger insert 20 in a cutting configuration. The cutting blade 38 has a cutting edge 50 and the cutting blade 38 protrudes from the distal end 52 of the index finger reinforced portion 30. The cutting edge 50 is in contact with the distal end 54 of the reinforced portion 34 of the thumb insert 26. Distal end 54 acts as a cutting surface for the cutting edge 50. The cutting edge is sufficiently tapered to cut the stem of a plant but not sufficiently sharp to penetrate the distal end 54.

Referring to FIG. 1, the cutting blade 38 can be attached to the index finger distal phalanx reinforcement portion 30 between a bottom edge 56 of the reinforcement portion and the distal tip 52 of the reinforcement portion. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the cutting blade 38 is attached to the distal tip 52 of the reinforcement portion.

Referring to the Figures, the cutting blade 38 takes the form of a human index fingernail plate having a cutting edge 50.

In another embodiment of the invention, cutting blade 38 is attached midway between the bottom edge 56 of the reinforcement portion 30 and the distal tip 52 so that it projects in a perpendicular manner from the reinforcement portion. In this configuration, the cutting edge 50 of the blade would be in contact with the thumb pad 60 and form a cutting configuration.

In another embodiment of the invention the cutting blade is attached to the thumb distal phalanx reinforcement portion between a bottom edge of the reinforcement portion and the distal tip of the reinforcement portion. In this embodiment the cutting blade takes the form of a human thumb fingernail plate having a cutting edge.

Referring to the Figures, the reinforcement portions 32 and 34 are adhesively attached to the outside surfaces of the distal phalanx of the index finger and the thumb inserts respectively. In one embodiment the reinforcement portions 32 and 34 are rubberized portions for placement over the outside surfaces of the distal phalanx of the index finger and the thumb. In one embodiment of the invention the rubberized portions are molded around the cutting blade 38.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cutting blade 38 is made from stainless steel. However other suitable materials can also be used. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the cutting blade extends between ¼ inch and ½ inch beyond the distal end of the respective finger and thumb it is attached to.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown one embodiment of the invention 10 cutting the stem 70 of a flower using a pinching movement.

My invention also includes a method of making a gardening glove comprising the following steps:

-   -   forming a glove body having a palm, a back, a cuff , four finger         inserts including an index finger insert and a thumb insert;     -   forming a first flexible reinforced portion for placement over         an index finger distal phalanx of an outer surface of said index         finger insert;     -   forming a second flexible reinforced portion for placement over         a distal phalanx of an outer surface of said thumb insert;     -   fixing a cutting blade to a distal end of one of said first and         said second flexible reinforced portions;     -   adhesively fixing the first flexible reinforced portion over the         index finger distal phalanx of said outer surface of the index         finger insert; and,     -   adhesively fixing the second flexible reinforced portion over         the outer surface of the thumb distal phalanx.

The method further includes the step of fixing an abrasion and puncture resistant cover to said palm.

The method also includes a substrate to said back for receiving an artistic design.

Another step in the method is to make the cuff an elasticized cuff for a dirt-resistant seal.

In the drawings and the specification, there has been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, the terms are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. 

1. A gardening glove having a cutting tool comprising: a. a glove body for receiving a hand, said glove body comprising four finger inserts including an index finger insert, a palm portion, a back portion, a thumb insert and a wrist cuff, wherein said glove body provides full protective coverage of said hand; b. a reinforced portion covering a distal phalanx of said index finger and said thumb; and, c. a cutting blade attached to one of said reinforcement portion covering said distal phalanx of the index finger and the thumb.
 2. The gardening glove of claim 1 further comprising an abrasive and puncture-resistant pad over said palm.
 3. The gardening glove of claim 1 further comprising a substrate over said back for receiving a decorative image.
 4. The gardening glove of claim 1 further comprising an elasticized cuff around said wrist forming a dirt-resistant compressive sealing.
 5. The gardening glove of claim 1 wherein said cutting blade is attached to the index finger distal phalanx reinforcement portion between a bottom edge of the reinforcement portion and the distal tip of the reinforcement portion.
 6. The gardening glove of claim 5 wherein the cutting blade is attached to the distal tip of the reinforcement portion.
 7. The gardening glove of claim 6 wherein the cutting blade takes the form of a human index fingernail plate having a cutting edge.
 8. The gardening glove of claim 5 wherein the cutting blade is attached midway between said bottom edge of the reinforcement portion and the distal tip so that it projects in a perpendicular manner from the reinforcement portion.
 9. The gardening glove of claim 1 wherein said cutting blade is attached to the thumb distal phalanx reinforcement portion between a bottom edge of the reinforcement portion and the distal tip of the reinforcement portion.
 10. The gardening glove of claim 9 wherein the cutting blade takes the form of a human thumb fingernail plate having a cutting edge.
 11. The gardening glove of claim 1 wherein the gardening glove is one of a left hand glove and a right hand glove.
 12. The gardening glove of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement portion is adhesively attached to the distal phalanx of the index finger and the thumb.
 13. The gardening glove of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement portion is a rubberized portion for placement over the distal phalanx of the index finger and the thumb.
 14. The gardening glove of claim 13 wherein said rubberized portion is molded around the cutting blade.
 15. The gardening glove of claim 1 wherein the cutting blade is made from stainless steel.
 16. The gardening glove of claim 1 wherein the cutting blade extends between ¼ inch and ½ inch beyond the distal end of the respective finger and thumb it is attached to.
 17. A method of making a gardening glove comprising: forming a glove body having a palm, a back, a cuff , four finger inserts including an index finger insert and a thumb insert; forming first flexible reinforced portion for placement over an index finger distal phalanx of an outer surface of said index finger insert; forming a second flexible reinforced portion for placement over a distal phalanx of an outer surface of said thumb insert; fixing a cutting blade to a distal end of one of said first and said second flexible reinforced portions; adhesively fixing the first flexible reinforced portion over the index finger distal phalanx of said outer surface of the index finger insert; and, adhesively fixing the second flexible reinforced portion over the outer surface of the thumb distal phalanx.
 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising fixing an abrasion and puncture resistant cover to said palm.
 19. The method of claim 17 further comprising fixing a substrate to said back for receiving an artistic design.
 20. The method of claim 17 further comprising elasticizing said cuff for form a dirt-resistant seal. 